Connecting device for electric conductors



(No Model.)

H. GILMORE. CONNECTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC GONDUGTQRS. No; 565,344.

Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

W/T/VESSES ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWVARD GILMORE, OF EASTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONNECTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,344, dated August 4, 1896.

Application filed March 7,1896. Serial No. 582 ,245. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HOWARD GILMORE, of North Easton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Connecting Device for Electric Conductors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 illustrate my device applied toconnect a line-wire with a local Wire by means of a binding-post and a switch, Figs. 1 and 4 being sections taken diametrically but ninety degrees apart. and 8 are perspective views of the preferred form of the parts making up my complete device. Figs. 9 and 10 are like views of a modified form of that portion of my device which holds the line-wire. Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate one feature of my invention applied to another form of binding-post.

Binding-posts and switches of many forms have long been known, but I have invented an article of that class which has practical advantages over any before known, and my invention is anew article which is both a binding-post and one member of a switch; and it consists in the novel construction of its parts, for either feature of my invention is well adapted for use without the other, as one feature relates to connecting the linewire to one member of a switch or anyother electrode and the other feature relates to connecting two electrodes to form a switch, as will now be more fully explained by reference to the drawings, in which I have shown both features of my invention applied to a cut-out for lamps or the like.

In the drawings, A is the body of my new binding-post adapted to be connected to any suitable base B, as by means of screw 3, which holds body A to base B, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The clamping portion of my binding-post is formed of an abutment a for one end of the binding-screw a and also for the conductor or line-wire L and of a holder composed of a nut a and a clamping part a carried by the nut a, so that when the nut a. is on one side of the abutment a and the clamping part c on the other side of that abutment the screw a passing through a hole a in the body portion A, will engage nut a and the end of screw a will bear Figs. 5, 6, '7,

against abutment a, the screw a? thus holding the holder a 0. in proper relation to the body A. After the wire L is inserted between abutment a and clamping part a the screw a is turned until the wire L is clamped between the abutment c and the clamping part a In Fig. 10 the clamping part a of the holder is shown as two hooks, each connected by a side piece to the nut a, and this is a better form when great pressure is to be exerted on wire L and also when the body A is in the form of a post, as in Figs. 11 and 12. The inner end of body portion A carries a switch-jaw composed of the hook a and the holding-spring a and this spring a is most conveniently attached to the body portion A by clamping it between base B and body portion A, as clearly shown in the drawings. The blade a is forced between the spring a and the hook a and its end brings up against the shank of the hook. The end of the hook and of the blade and of the spring are preferably slightly bent, as shown, the better to hold the blade in the jaw. It will be seen that the shank of the hook a serves as a stop, and this feature of my invention is a switch composed of hook a and blade a arranged as shown and so that the end of the blade is close to the shank of the hook when they are interlocked, combined with the holdingspring a, fast to the hook, so that when the blade and hook are interlocked the end of the blade a is between the spring a and the end of the hook a The cut-out shown is composed of the base B and rosette B, which are held together by the two pairs of hooks a and (L The local wire I is usually connected with the rosette B by passing through the central orifice in that rosette and under the washer of the screw .9, the usual fuse connecting the screws 3 and 8 thus electrically connecting the 10- cal wire Z with the hook a through a safetyfuse in the well-known manner, and when the rosette B is held to base B by the hooks the circuit is complete, as will be well understood by all skilled in the art.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a device for connecting electrical conductors, the combination of body portion A; base B; screw a loose in hole a in body portion A; abutment a fast to body portion A;

and a holder made up of nut a and clamping base B; rosette B; and blade a carried by part a straddling abutment CL, and held in rosette B to make the shank of the hook a place by screw a engaging nut a, substanstop for the blade, substantially as shown.

tially as shown. HOXVARD GILMORE. 5 2. In a device for connecting electrical con- \Vitnesses:

ductol's the combination of body portion A; J. E. lVIAYNADIER,

base B 5 hook a and spring a carried by the JOHN R. SN OW. 

